HBO and "This Just In" Go Virtual With a Live Comedy Performance in Second Life From the U.S. Comedy Arts Festival in Conjunction With Millions of Us

NEW YORK, NY -- HBO announced today that it will be presenting an exclusive performance in the fast-growing virtual world of Second Life from the U.S. Comedy Arts Festival on Thursday, March 1. With a mission of discovery, innovation and tribute, the U.S. Comedy Arts Festival presents cutting-edge new talent, writers and filmmakers as well as feature appearances and performances by some of the biggest stars in comedy.

The performance will be hosted by Hyla Matthews, a rising comedic talent associated with HBO’s recently-launched joint-venture with AOL “This Just In”, (www.thisjustin.com). Matthews will entertain the Second Life crowd as an avatar while introducing video content including clips of standup performances from Aspen, short films from the Festival and clips from This Just In.

Boasting over 4 million accounts, Second Life has recently caught the attention of the entertainment industry as a platform that can compliment as well as expand the fan experience. “Second Life offers us a wonderful mechanism to provide participants a taste of the U.S. Comedy Arts Festival and additional exposure to the up-and-coming talent performing in Aspen,” says Carmi Zlotnik, executive vice president, HBO New Media Programming.

Capitalizing on HBO’s artistic leadership in feature and short films, the U.S. Comedy Arts Festival will offer new and established filmmakers the opportunity to present their works in an intimate, supportive setting. The Film Discovery Program will continue to play a vital role in independent comedy film, and also showcase world and North American premieres.

The event is being produced in collaboration with Millions of Us (www.millionsofus.com), a leading developer of experiences for companies entering virtual worlds.

About HBO
Home Box Office, Inc. is the premium television-programming subsidiary of Time Warner Inc., providing two 24-hour premium television services, HBO and Cinemax. Together, both networks reach approximately 40 million subscribers in the United States via cable and satellite delivery. Home Box Office’s international joint ventures bring HBO branded services to more than 50 countries around the globe.

About The USCAF
Since its inception in 1995, the U.S. Comedy Arts Festival in Aspen has become known as a primary launching pad for comedic talent and for hosting one-of-a-kind events such as reunions of Swingers!, Monty Python, SCTV, Sex and the City, Curb Your Enthusiasm and Saturday Night Live, as well as of the casts of The Larry Sanders Show, Cheers, Animal House, Waiting for Guffman and In Living Color; The AFI Star Awards to Goldie Hawn, Jim Carrey, Diane Keaton, Mike Myers, Jerry Seinfeld and Larry David, Steve Martin, Billy Crystal, Albert Brooks, Rob Reiner, Robin Williams, Whoopi Goldberg; the original The Simpsons Live, and the Freedom of Speech Awards which have honored Russell Simmons and Def Comedy Jam, George Carlin, Bill Maher, Dick Gregory, The Smothers Brothers, Michael Moore, August Wilson and Garry Trudeau. In the past, strong USCAF performances by Ray Romano, Camryn Manheim, Jack Black, Eddie Izzard, Anthony Clark, Candy Ford, Bob Odenkirk, David Cross, Jason Kravitz, Loni Love and The Hollow Men among others, helped attract or solidify network deals. The 2006 USCAF featured appearances by Louis CK, Robert Wuhl, Garrison Keillor’s A Prairie Home Companion, Jim Henson’s Puppet Improv and the world premieres of Damon Wayans’ Behind the Smile, Scott Lew’s Bickford Shmeckler’s Cool Ideas, and Leslie Greif’s Funny Money feature films.

About Millions of Us
Millions of Us is a company that helps businesses market their goods and services using virtual worlds and online communities. Since being founded in July, 2006, the company has built a client list that includes Toyota, General Motors, Mini, SUN Microsystems, Intel, Comcast, CNET, Wired Magazine, 20th Century Fox and Warner Brothers Records. Their work has been featured in Business Week, the Economist, NPR and the Wall Street Journal among others. Millions of Us employs 13 full time staff and a network of 70 contractors and is headquartered in Sausalito, California.